‘People die on the way’

Former minister decries Katima hospital woes, Kalimbeza stagnation

Former home affairs minister Albert Kawana has called on the government to urgently intervene in the challenges facing Katima Mulilo State Hospital, warning that patients continue to endure long-distance referrals to Rundu for medical treatment.

“People die on the way,” Kawana says, referring to patients who must travel about 524km from Katima Mulilo to Rundu for medical care.

He says Katima Mulilo State Hospital should be upgraded to provide services comparable to those available at Rundu, noting that residents have raised the matter for many years without a lasting solution.

“Our people are suffering here. Just imagine a person who must come from the intensive care unit (ICU) from Katima Mulilo hospital to drive 524km to Rundu for referral. This situation must be addressed as soon as possible, please, please. It has taken so, so many years,” he says.

Kawana raised these concerns during a recent community engagement with the chairperson of the National Council, Lukas Muha, in the Zambezi region, as part of an ongoing parliamentary outreach programme.

He urged the National Council to dispatch its relevant parliamentary committee to assess the hospital’s challenges and recommend measures to improve healthcare services in the region.

Kawana also expressed concern over the deteriorating state of the Kalimbeza rice project, which he said previously provided employment opportunities to hundreds of residents, particularly unemployed young people.

He said the stagnation of the project has contributed to the rising unemployment rate in the region which contributes to numerous social problems.

Kawana called for parliamentary oversight of the project to establish why it is no longer operating at its former capacity.

Another community member echoed these concerns, calling for the revival of the Kalimbeza sugar plantation, which has reportedly remained unused for about 25 years despite its potential to create employment and contribute to food production.

Kawana further raised concerns about the lack of reliable markets for cattle farmers following the Meat Corporation of Namibia’s departure from the region.

“Cattle are the bank account of a rural farmer,” he said, emphasising the importance of restoring market access to sustain rural livelihoods.

He warned about the potential impact of drought on vulnerable communities and called for government-supported food-for-work and cash-for-work programmes to assist unemployed residents.

Other community members raised concerns about land registration disputes, access to water and cross-border stock theft.

A representative of a Sikunga conservancy and the Zambezi Communal Land Board, who did not provide his name, warned that the registration of communal land parcels was creating disputes among families and affecting designated wildlife conservation areas, including hunting zones.

The representative appealed to the parliament to examine the implications of land registration on communal land management and conservation activities.

“The government introduced something which is good, but on the other side maybe there is a negative part, because as we speak, families are fighting each other in the Zambezi region. We have lost the lives of many of our people because of land. We have quite a number of cases,” he said.

Another resident complained about the alleged removal of household water meters without adequate consultation, while concerns were also raised about cattle theft along the Namibia-Zambia border, with residents calling for stronger security patrols.

The engagement forms part of the National Council’s outreach programme to the Zambezi and Kavango East regions from 2 to 14 November, aimed at strengthening public participation, promoting awareness of the parliament’s legislative and oversight functions, and providing communities with a platform to raise matters affecting their livelihoods.

– Sakeus Iikela is an information officer at the National Council.